Djibouti

Djibouti, the former French Somaliland, is a small country sandwiched between Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia consisting of little more than a port at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Its importance increased during both the Gulf War and the U.N. intervention in Somalia when it served as a base for Allied troops.

The area known as Djibouti was only sparsely populated by nomadic people who used it as grazing land, until the French realized its strategic value in 1859. Their initial interest in the area was to counteract the British trading presence in Aden, fueled by the desire of both countries to control the entrance to the Red Sea. In 1862, the French established themselves on the coast and drew up a treaty with Afar leaders to legitimize their acquisition of the coastal region. International pressure from the Arab League, local unrest and the increasingly turbulent situation in the horn of Africa eventually led to the French withdrawing from Djibouti in 1976. Close links with France still exist, with over 3,500 French troops remaining in Djibouti.

Independence did not bring harmony to the former French colony due to the tension between the Afar and Issa tribes. These indigenous people are evenly divided, with the Issa located in the south and the Afar living in the northern part of the country. Both tribes are Muslim with nomadic culture.